Weighing-machine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets- Sheet 1. P. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 579,452. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

Witnesses;

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-S-l1eet 2. F. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897;

(No Model.)

5 SheetsSheet 3. F. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 28, 1897.

will! Whm f nmm Witnesses; fnzrenior,

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. H. RICHARDS. WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 579,452. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

Witnesses,-

(No Model.) 5 Sheets8l1eet 5.

F. H. RICHARDS.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 579,452. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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FRANCIS ll. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

WEEGHlNG-MACHEQE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,452, dated March23, 1897. Application filed November l, 1896. Serial No. 611,085. (Nomodel-l To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. BJCI-L-XRDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at llartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWeighirig-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weighirig-machines for automatically weighingand delivering various classes of granular materials, but moreespecially those of a lumpy nature, such as coal and crushed stone.

W'ith respect to one of its features the invention comprehends theprovision, in connection with weighing mechanism, of a rotary screencoope *ative with the load-receiver of the weighing mechanism andoperable for de livering eparated and non separated portions,respectively, of a supply of material to said load-receiver.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide simple and efficientmeans for thus separating the supply which includes a screen, which ispreferably open-ended, and means for circnmferentially supporting saidscreen for rotation, and the provision of mechanism for imparting acontinuous rota-tire movement to said screen to thereby maintain anadequate supply of material to the load-receiver of the weighingmechanism.

Another object of the invention is to furnish means for successivelystopping or interrupting the passage to the load-receiver of the streamscomposed, respectively, of the coarse and fine particles of material, apair of stream-controllers or cut-off valves, operative with andcontrolled by the weighing mechanism, being preferably employed for thispurpose.

In the drawings aecompanyin and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a weighing-machine comprising mypresent improvements, and it illustrates the positions occupied by therespective work ing parts at the commencement of operation. Fig. 2 is anend elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 1, portion of the supplyapparatus being in central vertical section. Fig. 3 is a similar view,except that the supply apparatus is shown in full lines, the main supplyto the load-receiver having been stopped by the closure of one of thevalves, the other valve being in its drip position. Fig. -l is a viewlike Fig. 3, the supply to the load-receiver or bucket having beencompletely stopped and the closer of said bucket being wide open topermit the same to discharge its contents; and Fig. 5 is an endelevation as seen from the right in Fig. l and with the parts inpositions corresponding to Fig.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

The weighing mechanism is substantially similar in construction and modeof operation to that disclosed by Letters Patent No. 5lS,8i0, granted tome October 20, 1895, to which reference may be had, and it includes aload-receiver or bucket and supportingbeam mechanism to be hereinaftermore particularly described.

The framework for carrying the various parts of the machine or apparatusmay be of any suitable or preferred construction; and it consists in thepresent instance of the chambered base and the end frames or columns 3and'lrising therefrom, to which latter are connected the brackets 5 and6, forming a part of the framing, and which extend oppositely from thechute or hopper II.

The beam mechanism consists of the oppositely-disposed counterweightedscale-beams l3 and B', respectively, mounted upon the base 2 in theusual manner and provided with the ordinary supports for the bucket G,which is of the single-chambered type and which has the usualdischarge-outlet.

The discharge-outlet for the bucket will be controlled by the closer L,which consists of an approximately flat plate pivotally connected to thebucket and contiguous to the lower edge thereof when in its normal orshut position, it being also counterweighted, the oilice of saidcounterweight or counterweights being to return the closer to its normalor shut position on the discharge of the bucketload.

The means, which will now be briefly described, for holding theshiftable load-discharge member or bucket closer against movementincludes an inverted toggle and a detent device or latch for engagingone of the parts of said toggle. The bucket G carries in suitablebearings near the upper rearward side thereof the rock-shaft 7, to oneend of which is aliixed the rocker or segmental blade 8, whichconstitutes one member of the toggle, the other member being the rod 9,which is pivoted, respectively, to the rocker S and to the bucket-closerin such a manner that the several pivots thereof will be approximatelyin line when the closer is shut, so that said rocker, and consequentlythe closer, may be held against movement by a minimum pressure on theformer.

The latch is designated by 10, it being pivotally supported on thebucket and also counter-weighted, and in the form shown it swings upwardto engage the cooperative arm 12 of the rocker, as illustrated in Fig.

In weighing substances of a lumpy charactersuch as coal and crushedstonewith the ordinary types of weighing-machines the material, near theclose of the weighing operation, due to the irregularity of its lumps,is liable to so clog and choke in the supply chute as to seriouslyinterfere with the final closing movement of the valve, which isgenerally a rapid one, thereby preventing the cutoff or stoppage of thesupply to the load receiver or bucket with that promptness and facilitywhich is essential to procure a pre cise definite load. To remove thisdisadvantage and for the purpose of insuring accuracy in this class ofwork, I provide a screen or riddle, which is located between the sourceof supply and the weighing mechanism and which is operable fordelivering the separated or smaller lumps and the non-separated orlargerlumps of the supply of material to said bucket in separated lotsor streams, and I prefer to impart a continuous rotative movement tosaid screen to thereby maintain a constant supply of the material tosaid bucket.

During the major period of operation of the machine both the coarse andthe fine particles of material will be concurrently conducted to theload-receiver. At a predetermined point, however, 1 stop the passage ofthe larger lumps to the load-receiver; but continue to supply the finerparticles thereto, which are practically of a uniform size, so that thestream composed of the same may be readily controlled and promptlycutoff at the proper stage.

The screen or riddle, which is designated by S, is open-ended, it beingalso inclined to promote the passage of the supply therethrough. itbeing also located over and slightly within the hopper or trough 15, inwhich the finer particles are sifted on the rotation of said screen.

The hopper or trough 15 fixed at its front and rear ends to the bracketsand 17, respectively, which may be cast integral with the chute H, saidhopper or trough preferably leading into the chute 11, which forms adepository for the separated or sifted mass and which is to be deliveredthereby to the bucket G in the form of a stream of substantially uniformvolume on the opening of a valve for said chute.

The screen S (see Fig. 2) consists of two end members or shells 1S and19, joined by the reticulated or perforated section or cylinder 20,which embraces said end members and which is connected thereto in someconvenient manner. The two end members 18 and 19 will be furnished withperipheral channels or bearings 18 and 19, respectively, in which thescreen-supporting rings 21 and 22 lie, said rings or bands beingpreferably formed integral with the trough or hopper 15, and theyconstitute a means for limiting or preventing endwise or longitudinalmovement of the screen 5.

An annular flange is shown at 23, it being formed on the screen member18, adjacent to its outlet, said flange serving to check the momentum ofthe moving body of material prior to its entrance into a conduit orspout which conducts the coarse lumps into the bucket G and to alsoprevent escape of the material which occasionally accumulates at thispoint.

The conduit for conducting the coarse sup ply from the screen S to thebucket G is des ignated by 21-, and it is suitably fixed to thetransverse member of the yoke 25, whichconstitutes a part of the framingof the apparatus, the receiving end of said conduit or spout 2i beingadjacent to the diseharge-outlet of the screen S and the discharge endof said conduit being extended into the bucket for a short distance.

The conduit has a floor composed of two right-angular plates 2st and24:, the first-mentioned of which receives the coarse material from thescreen S and which delivers it to the companion plate 2%, which directsit into the bucket G, said plates being disposed at a robe tively greatinclination to thereby conduct the material rapidly to the bucket G, andby reason of thedisposition of the plate 21relatively to its mate itserves as a brake to modify the force of impact of the coarse supply.

The screen member 18 will carry a gear 20, the latter in the presentcase being in the form of a toothed band, which maybe driven tightlythereon and which meshes with the driving-pinion on the shaft 28, saidshaft being suitably supported and being t'u rnished with a pulley 29,connected by the drivingbelt to the power-wheel 31 of a suitable motoror line-shaft. (Not shown.)

The mechanism just described constitutes a convenient means forimparting thcneccssary rotative movement to the screen 5 for separatingthe line particles from the supply, although other instrumentalities maybe employed for the purpose.

The two classes of i'naterial will be conducted simultaneously to thebucket up to a certain point, or until the commencement of the poisingor drip-supply period, at which time the passage of the coarse lumpsthereto will be stopped, the delivery of the finer particles beingsubsequently arrested, and for successively cutting off the two streamsI employ a pair of independent]y-operative and succesthe brackets 5 and6.

sively-closable valves,which are controlled or governed by the weighingmechanism, so that the shutting of said valves may be properly regulatedto permit the requisite quantities to enter the bucket.

The valve for the coarse supply is designated by 35, it consisting of aslightly-curved plate carried by the shaft 36, which is supported by theframing of the machine, said valve being located near the discharge edgeof the chute-plate 24; and having an oscillatory movement within theconduit or spout 24: to alternately cut off the coarse supply from andto permit it to pass to the bucket. The valve 35 will be normallymaintained in its wide-open position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, topermit the unobstructed passage of the coarse supply to the bucket, theshaft So be ing equipped with the depending rod 37,which is engaged bythe stop 38 on the bucket G to hold said valve in such position. At thecommencement of the poising period the bucket G will have descendedsufficiently far to carry the stop 38 below the plane of oscillation ofthe rod 37, which action will release said rod, and consequently thevalve 35, so that the latter may be shut. For thus shutting or closingthe valve I may employ the relatively large weight 39, which is carriedby a rear wardly-projecting arm 39 on the shaft 36, said weight exertinga relatively great amount of force to effect a rapid shutting of thevalve 35, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the consequent stoppage of thecoarse supply.

The stop 38 on the bucket is of the bypass kind, so as to permit theopening of the valve 35 without hindrance.

The beam B shiftably carries the counterweighted lever 40, whichnormally forms a part of the beam mechanism, will hereinafter appear,said lever on one of its strokes being adapted to impart an upwardthrust to the relatively long red 41, which is jointed to a crank-arm onthe valve shaft 36, to thereby force the valve open.

The valve for controlling the stream which .[lows from the chute H, andwhichis to com plete the partial load furnished jointly by said streamand the coarse supply, is designated by 2, it being oscillatory acrossthe discharge-orifice of the chute and being pivotally supported betweensuitable arms on For actuating said valve to close the same'to firstreduce and to subsequently cut off the stream which flows from the chuteH, I employ mechanism sub stantially similar to that disclosed byLetters Patent No. 548,8l3, granted to me October 29, 1895, to whichreference may be had, and which includes the cam 43, which is rigidlyconnected to said valve, and the counterweighted lever 44;, which ispivotally supported by the framing of the machine, and which lever isfurnished with an antifrietion roll adapted to ride in contact with theworkin g face of said cam to thereby close the val vo, said face beingof such shape as to permit the application to the valve of differentamounts of force, whereby it may be closed with great rapidity at thecompletion of a load.

The lever 40, to which I have previously referred, is pivoted near theinner end of one of the arms of the beam B, its weight, however, beingnormally added to the counterpoised side of said beam. On the descent ofthe bucket with the beam mechanism during the loading period saideounterweighted lever will be carried down with the beam mechanism untilthe latter has reached the limit of its downstroke, at which time theweighted bucket-load is discharged. On the discharge of the load thevalve 4-2 will be held against opening by interlocking stop mechanism tobe hereinafter described, although the two beams are free to return totheir normal positions, as indicated in Fig. 4; but the lever will belocked against return movement with the beam B by the rod 43 which bearsagainst said lever and which is pivoted to the valve -12 at a point tothe rear of its center of movement.

\Vhen the valve is released on the shutting of the bucket-closer, aswill hereinafter appear, the lever a will be also released and can thenresume its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, and in so doing it willtransmit an upward thrust to the rod 43 which is communicated to thevalve 42 for forcing the same open.

At a predetermined point in the closure of the valve 42 it will bemomentarily intercepted to permit the drip-stream to enter the bucketfor the purpose of completing the load. As a means for thustemporarilyholding said valve I provide the bypass stop 45, which iscarried by one of the arms of the beam 13, and against which tne freeend of the relatively long red l6, which is rigidly connected to saidvalve, is adapted to abut when the latter has nearly reached the end ofits cut-oft stroke, as indicated in Fig When the beam mechanism passesbelow the so-cailed poising-line, indicating the completion of abucket-load, the bypass l will descend clear of the rod 40,therebyfreeing the valve l2, so that it may be given its rapid and finalclosure for cutting off the last part of the supply, as indicated inFig. 4. On the opening movement of the valve 42 the rod to will strikethe by-pass and swing the same inei'i'ectively about its pivot.

In connection with the valve and with the closer L, I employreciprocally-etfective stops, the rocker S constituting one of saidstops, while the other is designated by 47, the first-mentioned stopbeing so operable as to prevent opening of the valve while the closer isopen and any part of the load is being discharged, while the companionstop prevents the discharge of the load by blocking the openingot thecloser should the latch 10 be tripped too quickly.

The stop a7 is shiftable about an axis in common with that of the valve,it beingloosc ICC on the short shaft is, which is mounted on said valve,and is connected by the rod -19 to the crank-arm 50 on the valve-shaft SThe two steps 47 and 51 are of segmental shape, the curved faces thereofbeing concentric with the respective axes of movement of said member.The action of the two interlocking steps will be evident from aninspection of Figs. 2, 3, f, and 5.

Attention is called to Fig. 2, wherein the valve 35 is illustrated asbeing in its wideopen position, the rocker Sbeing substantially incontact with the stop -17, so that should the latch be prematurelytripped the rocker or stop 8 might oscillate for a very limited distanceor until it meets the blade or stop l7, which would arrest its furtherprogress, thereby holding the closer against the bucket and shut.

When the valve is closed in the manner hereinbefore specified, the rodat) will be drawn rapidly to the right, as indicated in Fig. 3, therebythrowing the stop +17 bodily across the plane of oscillation of the stop8, so that the latter is free to swing about its axis so far as the stopf? is concerned. To prevent this action, however, I provide a secondcloser limiting or retarding stop 51, which is similar in shape to themember 4 7 except that its curved face is much longer.

The stop 51 is rigidly attached to the valve 42, and not until saidvalve is fully closed will the same release the rocker 8. When saidvalve 42 has cut off the supply-stream, the blade or stop 51 will havebeen caused thereby to cross the plane of the curved face of the stop 8,so that, the latch being tripped, the closer L can be forced open, andin so doing it will swing the rocker 8 about its axis and the curvedface thereof will bear against the two stops 4 and 51, as illustrated inFig. 4:, whereby retractive movement of said stops l7 and 51 will bepositively prevented, the two valves being thereby held in their closedpositions. "When the closer is shut, the rocker 8 will be returned toits normal position, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3,'thereby releasingthe two stops 17 and 51, and, necessarily, the two valves, so that thelatter may be opened through the intervention of the shiftablecounterweighted lever 40 in the manner herein set forth.

For tripping the latch 10 to effect the discharge of the bucket-load Iprovide the latchtripper 52, which consists of a fixed projection on thereciprocatory thrust-rod lb and which is adapted to impinge against thepin on the latch 10 at a point very near the end of the cut-off strokeof the valve 42 and on the rapid downstroke of said rod, so that saidlatch will be tripped and the closer L freed of all restraint, wherebyit can then be forced open by the weight of the contents within thebucket G.

For delivering the material to the rotary screen S, I provide the spent55, which receives the same from a suitable source of supply (not shown)and which is mounted on the bracket. 10, said spout projecting throughthe inlet-opening of the screen S, as indicated more clearly in Fig. Thethreat of the screen is reduced or contracted son'icwhat, as at 56, thefloor 57 of the spout being inclined and substantially parallel with themass-carrying portion of the throat to thereby permit the gravitatingmaterial to freely onter the reticulated section of the screen.

The operation of the hereinbefore-described machine, briefly, is asfollows: Fig. 2 represents the positions of the various parts at thecommencen'ient of operation, the valves 35 and 1L2 being wide open andthe former being held in such position by the stop 38, which is incontact with the valve-rod 37, the closer L being locked in its shutposition by the latch 10, which is in engagement with the arm 12 of therocker S. The spout delivering material to the rotary screen S, thescreen will sift the liner particles therefrom, which drop into thehopper 15, thence pass into the chute ll, thence to the valve t2, andfrom thence into the empty bucket G, while the coarse lumps passentirely through the screen and enter the spent 2%, which directs theminto the bucket. When a certain proportion of the predetermined load hasbeen received by the bucket G, it will descend with the beammechanism,and the counterweighted lever 10, moving with the latter andaway from the rod ski-3 will permit the slow closure of the valve t2 bythe counter-weighted lever t1, and at about the time said valve reachesthe position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the bypass stop 38 will release therod 37 and the valve 35, whereby said valve will be promptly shut by theweight 39. At this time, however, the complete closure of the valve l2will be prevented by the stop 1-5 on the beam 1;, which engages the .rod4-6 of the valve 42. \Vhen the beam mechanism passes below the poising-line, the stop will pass out of contact with the rod -16, so thatthe valve 1-2 will have imparted thereto its accelerated Iinal movementby the lever it to cut off the last part of the stream from the chute,as illustrated in Fig. at. On such final movement of the valve the rod13 will be forced downward with the projection thereon against the pin53 on the latch 10, thereby depressing said latch sufficiently far todisconnect it from the rocker 8, whereby the closer L, being then freedof all restraint, can be forced open by the weight of the material orload within the bucket, as shown in Fig. -l-, and when the load isdischarged the several parts of the weighing mechanism will resume theirnormal positions, as represented in Fig.

llaving described my invention, 1 claim 1. he combination, with weighingmechanism including a loziul-receiver having a closer, of a screenoperable for separating the fine particles of the supply of materialtherefrom; means for conducting such. fine particles to theload-receiver; a spout having its receiving end supported adjacent tothe di charge-outlet of said screen and adapted to receive the coarseportion of the supply and to conduct it to the load-receiver, saidspoutconsisting of two an gularly-disposed inclined plates; a valve supportedadjacent to the discharge edge of one of said plates for controlling thedelivery of the coarse portion of the supply to the load-receiver; ashaft carrying said valve and having a crank-arm; a second valve forcontrolling the delivery of the fine portion of the supply to theload-receiver; a pair of stops, one of which is affixed to thelast-mentioned valve and the other of which is movable about an axis incommon therewith; a stop connected with the closer and cooperative withsaid pair of stops; a rod connected, respectively, with said movablestop and the crank-arm; a valve-actuating weight affixed to said shaft;and connections between the two valves and the weighing mechanism.

2. The combination, with weighing mechanism including a load-receiver,of a chute carried by the framework; a hopper located over said chute; ascreen rotatably supported by said hopper, said screen being adapted toseparate the fine particles of a supply of material therefrom, whichdrop into said hopper and from thence into the chute; a spout having itsreceiving end supported adjacent to the delivery end of said screen forconducting the coarse portion of the supply to the load-receiver, saidspout consisting of two angularly-disposcd plates one of which issustained by a yoke on the framework; a valve supported adjacent to thedischarge edge of one of said plates; a valve movable below said chute;and valve-actuating means controlled by the weighing mechanism.

3. The combination with a bucket having a shiftable load-dischargemember, of means for supplying two independent streams of material tosaid bucket; a pair of independently-supported valvesoperable,respectively, for controlling said streams; stops movable aboutan axis in common, one of said stops being rigid with one of the valves,the other stop being operatively connected to the other valve; and athird step coactive with said firstmentioned stops and operativelyconnected with the closer.

4. The combination with a bucket having a closer, and with means forsupplying independent streams of material thereto; of a pair of valves,one of which is mounted on a shaft and the other of which carries a pairof stops one of which is loose relatively thereto; and an operativeconnection between said loose stop and said valve-shaft; and a stopoperable with the closer and coactive with said firstmentioned stops.

5. The combination with a bucket having a closer, and with means forsupplying independent streams of material thereto; of a pair of valvesone of which is mounted on a supporting-shaft and the other of whichcarries a pair of stops one of said stops being loose on a shaft; and anoperative connection bctween said loose stop and the supporting shaft.

FRANCIS 'IT. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. Dome, Hui-urn SUTHERLAND,

